Oprah effect rocks as US visitor numbers surge

Oprah Winfrey (centre) and members of her US audience on their visit to Uluru last year.

AFP/SPMedia

The Northern Territory Government is hailing the Oprah effect, saying the US talk show host's visit to Uluru last year has prompted a surge in visitors.

Tourism NT figures show nearly 20 per cent more Americans visited Uluru last financial year compared to the year before.

Ms Winfrey visited in December, halfway through the survey period.

Tourism Minister Malarndirri McCarthy says extra flights to the resort have also helped but the visit by Ms Winfrey visit is undoubtedly the main reason for the increase.

"I think we could look at lots of different reasons as to why there has been a 19 per cent increase (in US visitor numbers) in Yulara," she said.

"I would say a fairly obvious one would be Oprah's visit to Central Australia and, in particular, the rock.

"Clearly that has been good for the Northern Territory, good for Central Australia."

The region has been affected by a nation-wide tourism downturn, caused partly by the high Australian dollar.

But Ms McCarthy says she believes the industry's luck is about to change.

"I would like to think that we are sort of bottoming out in terms of that challenge and that we'll actually see, as we go into Christmas and the New Year, hopefully, a rise in tourism numbers into Australia and into the Northern Territory."

Meanwhile, Tourism NT has contracted a Queensland-based consulting company to produce a new strategic plan for the local industry.

The plan will cover five years and be launched in early 2013.

It will draw on talks with industry operators in Darwin, Nhulunbuy, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Yulara.

Ms McCarthy says she will push for more emphasis on tourism in remote areas.